Just before we go back to work, a little thought. The last two years have been tough for lots of people, for lots of reasons, I don’t need to spell them out here. A much better idea is to look forward.

For me 2022 is not only about doing something meaningful but it is also about positivity and rediscovery; figuring out what is next, evolving who I am (hence the slightly cringey Instagram handle) and pushing myself outside of my comfort zone. In particular I am leaving the Army after 10 years. It would have been so easy to continue with my military career, to stick with my friends and the comforting battle rhythm of the officer career path, but I believe the best bit of advice I have received so far has been: ‘don’t stay just because you are afraid to leave’.

I am not scared, I’m terrified! Terrified that I have made a terrible mistake; that I have been spoiled by a good career and don’t know what’s good for me. I have sleepless nights about it, worrying that my identity is too tightly wrapped up in the Army. But then I remind myself that people who stay within their comfort zone are unlikely to achieve anything. And I think about what is coming up over the next year; the potential for growth, development, and success. This fills me up with excitement and overrides the feelings of fear. This has become my default coping mechanism over the past few months. Whenever I start to lose control of my emotions, when anxiety starts to creep into my mind, I visualise where I want to be this year, the opportunities, and what my success means for the work of the Veterans Foundation. They say this is something that high performance athletes consciously do; visualise success.

So, if you are feeling uncertain about the year ahead maybe give it a go. What is it you really want to achieve, what do you actually need to do to get there, and what is currently stopping you? Change is scary, leaving behind what you know is really, really hard but, more often than not, challenging yourself to try something new leads to better things. Take a minute and then go get 2022.

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